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John 1:29-42—The next day he [John the Baptizer] saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! ³⁰ This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’ ³¹ I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.” ³² And John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. ³³ I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ ³⁴ And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.”

³⁵ The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, ³⁶ and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” ³⁷ The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. ³⁸ Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, “What are you seeking?” And they said to him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” ³⁹ He said to them, “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. ⁴⁰ One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. ⁴¹ He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). ⁴² He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas” (which means Peter).

In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Dear saints, you could contemplate the first words out of John the Baptizer’s mouth for the rest of your life, for the rest of eternity, and still not exhaust them. “Behold, Jesus, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world is Jesus.

We look around this world, and we find sin. We look at the news, and we find sin. We look at the internet and our Facebook pages, and we find sin. We look at our home life, and we find sin. We look at how we treat our families and friends, and we find sin. We look at our marriages, and we find sin. We look at how we raise our kids, and we find sin. We look at how we spend our time, and we find sin. We look inside ourselves, and we find sin.

Sin and evil and death are all around us. But wherever we find sin, we are to find Jesus.

Jesus is this Lamb who took upon Himself the sin of the whole world. But we refuse to believe this. We insist on taking this honor – yes, honor – away from Jesus. We think it is dishonorable for the holy Son of God to bear all the world’s sin. However, when we do this, we become even worse. We take hold of our sin that sin becomes even stronger. We try to justify ourselves and the sin we have committed. We hold up a shabby bit of improvement in whatever area of our lives even though we have ignored all the other ways in which we have sinned against God.

To show us our sin, God has given His law. God has told you how you should live. God has shown you what you should do and what you should not do. God has given His Commandments to show you what you are, and here is the verdict: “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one. Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive. The venom of asps is under their lips. Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood; in their paths are ruin and misery, and the way of peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes” (Ro. 3:10-18).

God’s Law lays a heavy burden upon you. Your sin is at your throat. The Law has saddled you with your every failure. No amount of good works or pious living will lessen the load of your sin.

Like Isaac, you ascend the mountain with Abraham (Gen. 22:1-14). The wood of your sin is laid on your back, the fire of judgment is in hand, but there is no animal for the sacrifice. And so you ask your heavenly Father, “I see the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” You are bound, set upon the wood, and the knife rises over you.

But just as the knife comes down to kill, there is Jesus. You unexpectedly find the Sacrifice caught in the bush. You discover the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

Jesus says to you, “You are no longer a sinner, but I am. I am your substitute. You have not sinned, but I have. The entire world is in sin. However, you are not in sin; but I am. All your sins are to rest on Me and not on you” (Luther). He is willing to become your servant, willing to be your sacrifice. Jesus was slaughtered, roasted on the cross, and eaten (Luther).

Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, is the Holy Thief. He takes what is not His, the sin of the world, and claims it all as His own.

Jesus sees the sin of the world, and He does not, He cannot, remain idle. Jesus confesses all the sin of the world before God, and God lays on Christ the iniquity of us all (Is. 53:6). The Lord strikes Jesus for those sins (Is. 53:8).

Brother and sister, do not doubt that Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. This is the Gospel message. This is your salvation.

The Law says that sin lies upon you. But when you see sin surrounding you, overwhelming you, and engulfing you, remember Jesus says that your sin is His.

When Satan comes to accuse you, remember this. Tell him, “I admit that I deserve death and hell. What of it? Jesus says that He has taken those sins from me. Go talk to Christ about those sins; they are His now. The Lamb has stolen my sin.” Amen.

May the peace of God which surpasses all understanding guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.